Solid-state color-image sensor and process for fabricating the same

Abstract

In a step for bonding a color filter to a solid-state color-image sensor chip with an adhesive which is curable not only by light or more particularly ultraviolet-ray irradiation but also by heating, pre-curing or partial curing is effected by irradiating light rays after the color filter and the chip has been pressed against each other and correctly aligned with each other in a bonding device and then the chip with the partially-bonded color filter is removed from the bonding device and complete curing of the adhesive is accomplished by heating. According to one embodiment of the present invention the bonding step is carried out in an atmosphere containing the oxygen so that the adhesive which has been squeezed out from the space between the color filter and the chip may be prevented from being cured and subsequently removed in a simple manner. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, prior to the bonding step, the color filter and chip are covered with protective layers or films so that surface flaws may be avoided. Thus, the color filters can be bonded to the chips with a higher degree of accuracy and a higher degree of adhesive strength and the mass production of solid-state color-image sensors can be much facilitated.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A solid-state color-image sensor comprising a color filter and a solid-state image sensor chip bonded together with an adhesive which is curable by ultraviolet-ray irradiation and by heating, said color filter having portions opaque to ultraviolet rays and other portions which transmit such rays. 
     
     
       2. A solid-state color-image sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adhesive contains initiators of radical reaction type which initiate curing by ultraviolet ray irradiation and by heating, respectively. 
     
     
       3. A solid-state color-image sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adhesive immediately below at least a portion of said color filter which is opaque to ultraviolet rays is a heat cured adhesive. 
     
     
       4. A solid-state color-image sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said color filter has a colored pattern layer at least partially surrounded with at least one layer opaque to ultraviolet rays. 
     
     
       5. A solid-state color-image sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adhesive is a thiol-ene resin. 
     
     
       6. A solid-state color-image sensor comprising: a solid-state image sensor chip having a picture-element grid thereon;   a color filter comprising a glass substrate having a filter pattern thereon defining regions optically transparent and opaque to various colors, at least one of said regions being transparent to ultraviolet radiation and at least one other of said regions being opaque to ultraviolet radiation,   said filter pattern being in alignment with said picture-element grid; and   a layer of a thermally curable and ultraviolet-ray curable adhesive between said sensor chip and said color filter and bonding them together, the region around the edges of said color filter being substantially free of said adhesive, said adhesive including a thermosetting initiating agent and an independent ultraviolet-ray curing initiator,   said adhesive layer having an ultraviolet-cured part in alignment with said at least one region transparent to ultraviolet radiation, and a thermally cured part in alignment with said at least one other region opaque to ultraviolet radiation.   
     
     
       7. A solid-state color-image sensor according to claim 6, wherein said adhesive comprises a thiol-ene resin. 
     
     
       8. The solid-state color-image sensor according to claim 7, wherein said thermosetting initiating agent comprises benzopinacole or its derivatives or azobis-isobutyronitrile or its derivatives. 
     
     
       9. The solid-state color-image sensor according to claim 7, wherein said ultraviolet-ray curing initiator comprises benzophenone, thioxanthone or benzanthrone. 
     
     
       10. The solid-state color-image sensor according to claim 8, wherein said ultraviolet-ray curing initiator comprises benzophenone, thioxanthone or benzanthrone.